Free Agency Working?

Hockey blogger Jamie Fitzpatrick writes that the current free-agent system is indeed working, especially for the players.

After three seasons, the new salary system is “an abject failure in regard to the goal of ‘cost certainty'” according to Jim Kelley at SI.com.

He’s wrong. NHL player costs are certain, down to the penny. Just ask the army of accountants who calculate league revenue every year. The players’ share is set at just over 56 percent for next season. You don’t get much more certain than that.

Bottom line: If the money wasn’t rolling in, the players wouldn’t be getting it.

Illegal Curve agrees with the assessment. So long as NHL teams are managed by human beings, there will be bidding wars for players that do not make a lot of sense. If a GM wants a player and has the money to acquire him, you can bet it will happen.